¡Buenas tardes !

We just arrived in Madrid a little bit ago. We caught a high-speed train from Poitiers, a small town in between Paris and Bordeaux. Staying in a hotel train was a fun experience. The 11.5 hour ride went by quickly. It was bumpy and we were a little concerned that Michael might get motion sickness considering his past experiences with sea sickness but he was fine. It was fun walking through the narrow hallways and ordering drinks from the cafe area. I was reminded of the time my uncle Martin took me on a train to see the Liberty Bell when I turned 8, another fond train memory. We had arrived in Poitiers early in the day after a quick 2 hour train ride from Bordeaux. We were expecting Pointers to be a small city that we could explore for the afternoon, but it turned out to be pretty barren with not much of anything to see. We hung around the train station for a good 5 hours, surprisingly time went by quickly. Our bodies, especially our legs probably needed a good day of rest anyways. Our time in Bordeaux was much more eventful! We both decided that we liked the city as soon as we had arrived. It was busy but still at a much slower pace than Paris, where we were previously. We took the tram that runs throughout the city from the train station to a stop near our hotel. We walked to our hotel which was on a small side street. When we arrived we were greeted by a really nice man and checked in. We walked up 4 flights of a spiral staircase and entered our room. The room had a small entry way, a bathroom, and two twin beds. When we opened the window and looked out onto the apartments across the small street we really felt like we were in France! There was less to see in Bordeaux which gave us the opportunity to walk around aimlessly and explore. Bordeaux has many squares of various sizes and an endless supply of outdoor cafes. On several occasions we sat at a cafe and sipped espressos. We love how you can just order a drink and stay at the cafe for as long as you please without feeling obligated to order anything more. Not having to tip the waiter is a plus too. While at one cafe we noticed that the two young women sitting next to us were planning a trip to NYC. In a combination of French and English Michael told them that he was from that area. They immediately began to ask him questions, like the best way to get from the airport to where they were staying. When Michael saw that their flight arrived at 5pm he cringed a little bit and told them that they would probably be in a bit of traffic. All in all he was able to provide them with some valuable information about what areas to visit and the best way to get around and things like that. They were very appreciative. We saw them later that evening when we were walking around and they said hello. We found that the river that ran along the city was a nice place for us to hang out. There was a reflection pool that children were always running around in, either in their bathing suits or just in their underwear. Every half an hour the shallow pool would drain and then a fog of mist would fill the air for about five minutes. The children would always go wild when the mist would happen and that was fun to watch. The pool had the potential to show the reflection of the Place de La Bourse which was across the street, however that required the pool to be completely empty which seemed like an impossible request. On each side of the pool you could find rows of various flowers separated by rows of grass which were prefect for a quiet and semi private picnic. Michael and I ate several meals there. We got pizza twice from a small pizza place where we talked to the guy about our travels as he prepared the pizza and cooked it in the stone oven. This was a treat from the grocery store sandwiches we seemed to be eating at every meal. Sitting on the grass eating pizza and sipping red wine surrounded by flowers was something for us to cherish but it was obvious that this was the norm for the locals who were enjoying their own picnics. Bordeaux is best known for its wine so we thought it was appropriate to go on a wine tour. The tour we choose after speaking to a woman in the visitor’s center was a reasonably priced half day tour that would visit two small vineyards in white wine region. At the first vineyard we visited we were given a tour by the owner himself, an older man whose home was on the property. The vineyard had been in his family for many many generations and the buildings dated to the early 1800•s. The tour was given in both French and English, and when he spoke in English he was very animated to make up for the words he did not know. The owner explained that the wines produced in Bordeaux each contained a several different vine type. They however had special permission to produce a wine made from only one vine due to the exceptional age of that particular vine. At the tasting this was the wine that both Michael and I preferred the most. The second vineyard tour was similar to the first, but still interesting none the less. There was a small tunnel where the barrels were housed which was cold and damp. The ceiling and walls were cover with these various sized growths that felt like slime when you touched them. This tour guide instructed us on the proper way to taste wine. This winery produced a type of sweet white wine, and boy was it sweet. It was thicker than usual and tasted of honey and apricots. It was delicious but you would only be able to have one glass as a dessert after dinner. Michael and I joked that we were the only ones on the tour that didn’t purchase anything. We were happy that we had gone on the tour and both agree that Bordeaux is definitely worth a second visit in the future.

London

Hello Everyone,

Mike and I made it to London safely. The flight was a breeze as we watched a movie, ate a nice dinner and slept the rest of the time. Over the last few days we have done a lot of walking and have covered a substantial amount of the city. We visited Westminster Abby and Big Ben the first day we were here during the day and then went on the London Eye at dusk That was a really lovely view of the city. We took the underground to the Olympic park the other day but there was volunteer training for the Paralympics so we wernt able to get very close to the stadium. We were still able to see many of the facilities from a viewing area in one of the department stores. There is still a very festive atmosphere in the city which is fun get to experience. Seeing the Tower Bridge with the Olympic rings was definitely a highlight for both Mike and I. We are leaving London this afternoon and taking the Chunnel to Paris were we will be staying in a nice hotel. After only three days in a hostel we are already kind of looking forward to that. Overall the hostel was good. decently clean, free breakfast and not to noisy. Travelling is such a great way to learn about other cultures, how else would we know that Londers prefer their ales at close to room temperature!